Stamp



Jan. 28, 11936. H. SCHCNFELDER STAMP Filed Dec. 14, 1952 /r7 van for Fwd win/0 2m Patented Jan. 28, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STAMP zig, Germany Application December 14, 1932, Serial No. 647,204 In Germany May 3, 1932 Claims.

This application was filed in Germany on the 3rd May, 1932.

The present invention relates to adjustable rubber stamps, of the kind used as date stamps 5 or for other purposes, in which a set of endless rubber bands carrying printing characters and extending over a fixed support and a set of independent pulleys are used, the pulleys being adapted to be turned independently to bring any character into printing position.

One very unpleasant drawback of these known stamps is the fact that in using the stamps the hands, the paper and other objects are liable to be soiled owing to the fact that the rubber bands carrying the printing characters are laterally not covered. Another drawback of this lack of lateral cover is the fact that the stamp bands and the printing characters become very rapidly soiled, whereby the setting of the printing characters is rendered difiicult. The durability of the stamp is also very considerably reduced. The known constructions of these stamps are somewhat difficult to put away and it is therefore usual to put a stamp after use upon an open ink pad, which again leads to soiling of the stamp bands by the ink of the pad.

In order to obviate these drawbacks it has already been proposed to make the stamp frame or casing in the form of a container consisting of several parts, which has only the necessary openings for setting the bands and for making the impression. The construction of these improved band stamps is, however, very complicated, which makes the manufacture very expensive and also renders the assembling and dismantling of the parts very difficult.

The present invention consists in an improved construction in which the container-like frame of the stampconsists of only two identical parts which are connected together. by a very simple means so that an extremely simple construction is attained. This object is, according to the invention, attained by using a container-like frame which has only such openings as are required for setting the bands and for making the impression, and is divided along a symmetry plane passing through the axis of the pulleys and the printing bar in the longitudinal direction, so that the container consists of two entirely identical halves which are connected together by any suitable means. Preferably the two container halves are inserted in known manner with the lower ends of their end walls into the cup-shaped printing bar so that the latter is 5 utilized as a means for connecting the two halves. The halves are, moreover, connected above the pulleys by means of eyes which engage each other and a pin passed through the eyes. In order to dispense with further separate parts, the stamp handle or knob is likewise 5 divided along the plane of division of the container, each half of the handle or knob being made in one piece with the corresponding container half. This construction facilitates the manufacture of the stamp container from a 10 pressed and artificial material, such as bakelite, papier mach, celluloid and the like, whereby reduction of the weight of the stamp and a very pleasant appearance are obtained. The manufacture of the stamp is, moreover, simplified by 15 the fact that the band pulleys together with the hand discs serving for their setting are drawn from sheet iron, and pulleys being, during the drawing operation, slightly ribbed and consequently roughened upon their peripheral surfaces bearing the rubber bands, for the purpose of increasing frictional resistance between the rubber bands and the pulleys. When using wide band pulleys, a cover disc is pressed into the cavity of the pulley, whereby two bearing 5 surfaces are obtained between the pulley and the spindle.

According to the invention the stamp pad container is provided with .a vertically guided frame which serves for receiving the lower end of the 30 stamp, and is for the purpose of inking the stamp, depressed together with the stamp against the action of pressure springs. When the stamp is inserted into the frame, it is normally held by the springs away from the inking pad. 35

The accompanying drawing shows by way of example one construction embodying the features of the invention.

Fig. l is an elevation of the stamp, the front half of the container'being removed, and one of 0 the pulleys being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is an inner view of one of the container halves.

Fig. 3 is a section on the broken line A-B of Fig. 1. 45

Fig. 4 is a section on line CD of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a partial elevation of the inking pad container, and

Fig. 6 is a section and partly an end view of the inking pad container. 50

The stamp comprises as usual several band pulleys 2 mounted upon a spindle I, over which run endless rubber bands 3 bearing the printing characters the bands being also guided over a printing or support bar 4. The printing bar consists of a piece of sheet iron having upturned longitudinal edge portions and similarly upturned end edge portions. The printing bar 4 and the pulley spindle I are held by the stamp container at such a distance apart as to put the rubber bands under a slight tension. Whereas in the known rubber. bands, the frame is .in the form. of a U,.,the pulley spindle being mounted in the lateral limbs and the handle'being fixed to the middle portion of the U, the container is, accordi. ing to theinvention, divided along a plane of symmetry passed through the axis of the pulley.

spindle and the longitudinal middle, line of the printing bar. The two halves of the container are completely identical, each half having two end walls 5 in which are provided the bearings 6 for the pivot pins 1 of the pulley spindle l, and an upper Wall 9.- The wall 9 is formed with a knob half portion 8 and with projecting hinge eyes l which alternate with intervening recesses l 'l' of corresponding width. Each container half moreoverhas a lateral enclosing wall l2 which conforms t'o'the' periphery of the band pulleys and the path of the bands. In this lateral enclosing'wall are provided slots l3 through which project peripheral segments of operating or setting discs I dappertaining to the band pulleys. In the' bottom' edge of each end wall 5 is formed a notch 15. The four notches l5 serve for receiving the upturned edges of the printing bar 4.

The band pulleys Zare each drawn in one piece With the appertaining operating disc M, the edge portion of the pulley end wall bordering the opening through which the spindle passes, being bentinwards in order to provide a sufficiently large running and bearing surface of the pulley upon the spindle. The cylindrical peripheral surface of the band pulley upon which the band runs is, during the drawing operation, slightly ribbed bythe use of a suitably shaped matrix, as indicated at It in Fig. 1. Those pulleys which havea considerable Width are provided with a pressed-in end cover H, which serves for reinforcing the pulley and is provided adjacent to the spindle I with a running and bearing surface. The wide pulleys have therefore two hearing and running surfaces.

The assembling of the stamp parts is effected in the following manner. The pulleys together with the rubber bands are first slid upon the pulley spindle. The printing barfis' passed through the bands and is inserted with its, lateral flanges into the'notches l5 of the con tainer" halves, the spindle is then inserted with its pivots lin'to'the bearings 6 of one container half, the bands being at the same time slightly tensio'ned." The other'fcontainer half is then pressed into the first. container half. The eyes i l of the two container halves engage between each other and into the corresponding recesses of the other 'half, whereby the bores 18 of thehinge eyes: Ill of both container halves are brought into line. A pin 25 is then insertedthrough the registering hinge eyes." It will be seen that the whole inner mechanism is entirely enclosed by the container, with the exception of the "small opening required for printing and the small openings required for peripheral segments of the operating discs 14 These openings are formed by slots l3 of the container halves. The two knob halves 8 form together a closed knob, the cavity of which may be utilizedfor the reception of spare parts, stamp bands, pulleys. and the like. H h The container 'halves'may be made of any material capable of being pressed or cast, for instance sheet iron artificial substances such as bakelite or the like, and other ordinary casting or spray casting may be employed. The pulleys of the stamp bands may also be made of similar artificial materials. The container may comprise several parts, forinstance the knob may form a separatepart.

'The inking pad container I9 shown in Figs. 5 and 6 has a frame portion 23 which is vertically guided against the pressure of springs 22.

byj means of pins 29 and grooves 21, and is so adaptedto -thelower. end of the stamp that ZSagainst; the action of the springs.

bar are held away from the inking pad'fi l. The inking of the characters can be effected only by depressing the stamp together with the frame In this Way the inking pad container is utilized both for thejreception of the stamp when' the latter is not used, and serves also for protecting the stamp against soiling.

Iclaim:

1. In a'stamp the combination 0153.8. casing including a knob; a spindle mounted in said casing; a printing bar carried by the casing; a plurality of pulleys independently rotatable upon said spindle and provided with'disc's slightly projecting from said casing, said disc's'e'rving for setting said pulleys'from the outside; bands 'carrying 'printing characters, 'said bands being passed each over a pulley and theprinting bar; said casing including the knob consisting of two identical halves, the planefof division of the casing passing through the axis of the spindle upon which thepulleys are" mounted, and also passing through the printing bar, substantially as described."

2. In a stamp the combination of a casing:

a spindle mounted in said casing; a printing bar carried by the casing; a plurality of pulleys independently rotatable upon said spindle and provided with discs slightly projectingfrom said casing, said discs serving for setting said pulleys from theoutside; bands carrying printing characters, said bands being passed each over a pulley and the printing bar; said casing forming a container substantially enclosing completely the pulleys and the bands, with the exception of an opening corresponding to the printing bar and with the exception of slots for the passage of portions of the peripheries of the setting discs; said casing. being composed of two substantially identical 'halves, the plane of division passing through the axis'ofthe spindle upon which the pulleys are mounted and the longitudinal middle line ofwthe printing bar; each half of the casing having at its lower end notches for the reception of the printing bar and also having above the pulleys hinge. eyes alternating :withrecesses of corresponding width, said two halves of the casing being secured together atone end by the printing bar inserted into the notches, and at the other end by a pin passed through the hinge eyes, substantially as described.

In a stamp the combination of: a casing; a spindle mounted in said casingra printing bar carried by the casing; a plurality ofpulleys independentlyrotatable upon 'saidspindle and pro-1 vided withdis'cs slightly. projecting from said casing, said discs" serving for setting said pulleys from the outside; bandscarrying printing characters, said bands being passed each over a pulley and? the printing bar said casing forming i5 a container substantially enclosing the pulleys and the bands with the exception of an opening corresponding to the printing bar and slots for portions of the edges of the setting discs; said casing consisting of two substantially identical halves, the plane of division passing through the axis of the spindle upon which the pulleys are mounted and the longitudinal middle line of the printing bar; each casing half being made in one piece with a hollow member constituting one half of knob, the cavity within the knob serving for the reception of spare parts, substantially as described.

4. In a stamp the combination of: a casing; a spindle entirely enclosed within said casing; a printing bar carried by the casing; a plurality of pulleys independently rotatable upon said spindle and provided with discs slightly projecting from said casing, said discs serving for setting said pulleys from the outside; bands carrying printing characters, said bands being passed each over a pulley and the printing bar; said casing consisting of two exactly identical halves, the plane of division of the casing passing through the axis of the spindle upon which the pulleys are mounted, and also passing through the printing bar; each casing half having internal half cylindrical recesses outwardly closed, the recesses of both casing halves forming bearings of said entirely enclosed spindle, substantially as described.

5. In a stamp the combination of: a casing including a knob; a spindle mounted in said casing; a printing bar carried by the casing; a plurality of pulleys independently rotatable upon said spindle and provided with discs slightly projecting from said casing, said discs serving for setting said pulleys from the outside; bands carrying printing characters, said bands being passed each over a pulley and the printing bar; said casing consisting of two exactly identical halves, the plane of division of the casing passing through the axis of the spindle upon which the pulleys are mounted, and also passing through the printing bar and a knob, said knob consisting of two identical halves each formed integrally with one of the identical halves of said casing substantially as described. 

